5th Avenue Theatre

I too have fond memories of going to this fine theater. Not quite the class act of the Academy Theater a few blocks away, but it still was a prestige place for Mom and Dad to go enjoy a movie together and drop the kids off at the Ritz or the Inglewood Theater. I'll never forget seeing Mr. Magoo there in "1001 Arabian Nights" - a CinemaScope cartoon feature - in 1959, having a 5th Avenue candy bar at the Fifth Avenue Theater!

The Fifth Ave Theatre is located at 2541 W. Manchester Blvd..

There's a huge banner on the theatre (or perhaps that's just for its adjacent neighbor) advertising a church coming to the building, but it hasnt' happened yet.

The architect of the Fifth Avenue Theatre was Clifford A. Balch. It was built in 1939 for Southside Theaters, which at that time had an office address of 5600 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles.

I was driving west on Manchester Blvd. the other day when I saw a large marquee, so I stopped and parked across the street. There before my eyes, fully intact, was the Fifth Avenue Theater. This was clearly a major movie house, as it takes up most of a city block. While it is boarded up, it's all still there, and as "MagicLantern" observed there is a sign that it's going to be converted into a church (like the nearby Academy). As long as a grand old theater is still standing there is still hope of restoring it for some use, rather than tearing it down.

According to the Calvary Christian Fellowship Church web site, senior apartments and commercial space will be constructed on this site. It doesn't say that the building will be demolished but to read their ambitious plans for the site, and to make the project economically feasible, the theatre would probably have to go. Read it for yourself to make up your mind. (http://ccfc-s.org/)

There was an advertisement for roller derby on the marquee a few years ago. I don't think that ever took off.

Here is a picture, courtesy of you-are-here.com,

http://www.you-are-here.com/theatre/5th_avenue.html

One more:

http://www.you-are-here.com/theatre/5th_ave.html

This is another photo of the 5th Avenue Theater.

Here is a recent photo of the 5th Avenue Theater.

Here are some photos from August 2007:
http://tinyurl.com/2gd42h
http://tinyurl.com/25bd2l
http://tinyurl.com/29hwpy
http://tinyurl.com/2d5ez2
http://tinyurl.com/yuu3sq
http://tinyurl.com/22bx8v
http://tinyurl.com/2z873g
http://tinyurl.com/2gy8tu
http://tinyurl.com/2gc6wz
http://tinyurl.com/2y9bs3

The church website posted in December 2004 is no longer operational. It doesn't look like there are any plans to demolish the theater for housing. On the other hand, they're not doing anything to rehab the property either.

Why doesn't the function doesn't read church?

I don't know if they hold services in the theater, or just own the property.

Okay, I understand.

Here is a recent photo for the marquee photo enthusiast.

This is another recent photo.

To all who are reading this thread... Allow me to shed some light on this location's future. It is true that the church (Calvary Christian Fellowship) has had plans for many years now to redevelop this site and adjacent parcels into a Senior Living, Mixed Use development but has run into serious financial trouble in getting the project off the ground. The proposed project has enormous support from the surrounding community who see this Theatre as an eyesore and nothing beholding it's historic grandeur. Saving the theatre has no purpose at this time to the Church, the City Council or the neighboring community. There is a new effort under way to revive the project (not as Senior living) apart from the Church's control, and try as best as we can to keep the spirit of the Theatre alive through facade treaments which lend memories back to its hey-day. Thanks to all the comments on this site, you really give us a lot more background details on this property and its uses and memories from yesteryear. If we go forward with the project soon, we will be certain to retain the historical memories in some fashion for all to see in the future. Thank You for your interest and submissions. -GS

p.s.: the Calvary website was not renewed and taken down on purpose due to other conflicts not related entirely to this project.

p.p.s.: The new project is scheduled to be a mixed-use, commercial/residential development, bolstering the surrounding neighborhood and helping to revitalize the corridor and increase property values in the area. -GS

Good luck with the project. It seems like that area is in a perpetual state of redevelopment.

Here is a 1982 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/dxz2a6

Here are some April 2009 photos:
http://tinyurl.com/cg4v82
http://tinyurl.com/dk7kxd
http://tinyurl.com/cazp26

Here are two June 2009 photos:
http://tinyurl.com/mevyw6
http://tinyurl.com/mgbbyd

I grew up at 91st and Avalon in the 50's and took the bus to the 5th Avenue quite frequently. We saw Daibolique the original moive there in 1956 which scared us to death. I went with my sister mother and grandmother. I also saw Loving You with Elvis there and we stayed to watch it again as you could in those days.